Wichita, KS

Wichita Pizza Company - Wichita, KS - Gluten Free Dining Review

I stumbled upon a mention on another Wichita gluten-free diner's blog of a pizza place that did a good gluten-free pizza. If you've gone gluten free, and have kids, one of the top things you generally miss is pizza! My family went from a bi-weekly Papa John's delivery to no pizza in sight for a very long time! It wasn't until we visited Waldo Pizza in Kansas City that we realized you could have pizza that was gluten free and tasted good!

So I was excited at the chance to go to a pizza joint here in town.

Wichita Pizza Company is located at 1520 S. Webb, on the North-East corner of Harry and Webb, near the Dairy Queen.
It didn't look like much from the outside, and when you first walk in, I almost thought we were in a bar. First thing you see is the bar-area! Overall, it has a sort of sports-bar feel to it as far as decor, sports on the tv's, and bar presence go. However, there really wasn't anyone drinking in there, and they didn't even ask if we wanted a drink, so I don't think it's too "bar-like" in practice. Still felt like a family-friendly place.

However, we found our seats in some comfy booth tables and picked up a menu. We weren't sure how the size would be, as often the gluten free ones come in only a personal size, so we ordered a variety of flavors to be sure we had enough for everyone. There was a meat lovers, a plain cheese, a pepperoni, and a BBQ chicken. They can do pretty much any of their combinations on the gluten free crust, just check their menu for options.

AND IT WAS GOOD!



That was the small size! The kids gobbled up every bit. I think we maybe had 2 slices left to take home. The crust was more like a "normal" thin crust pizza, without the gritty after-flavor found in the frozen gluten-free varieties. The toppings were good, fresh, with a lot of variety.

They were lacking in the safe dessert aspect, but the kids stuffed themselves so much on pizza that it wasn't an issue. And if they had really wanted dessert, the Dairy Queen is right next door.

All in all - So glad to have found a safe pizza place for my family!
It's not the same as having it delivered to the house, but I know I can swing by and pick up great food or take the family out and enjoy it!

Two Wonderful Wichita Homes Open this Sunday June 12th, from 2-4pm!

This weekend, we have not one beautiful offering but two! Stop by and see these beauties!

8257 E. Old Mill Ct - $193,000 - 5 Bedroom 3 Bath, Finished Basement, 2002 Built
Directions: From 45th St N and Rock Road, head North on Rock Road to Old Mill,
then turn East into Sawmill Creek, follow Old Mill to 2nd Right turn - home in cul-de-sac!

This beauty has gorgeous hardwood floors, great-room style floor plan, upgraded maple cabinetry, grand French door entry into the Master bedroom suite, dual vanities, walk in closets, finished basement, fenced and sprinklered yard, 3rd car parking, motorcycle stall, and one of the neighborhood's largest back yards! There's a lot to see and it's the best value in the neighborhood, priced thousands under other re-sale homes, and similarly priced to the new builds (where you DON'T get a finished basement and yard!). For more information or directions, call Joel - 316-833-2677



202 N. Gow - $109,900 - 3 Bedroom 1.5 Bath, Finished Basement, All Brick!
Directions: From Douglas and West street, head East on Douglas to Gow, then North to Home.

Best home in the area! Gorgeous inside and out with lush sodded lawn, beautiful landscaping, full brick exterior, new roof, double-width parking, fenced yard, and more. Inside there's refinished hardwood floors, crisp white trim, neutral soothing colors, updated light fixtures, updated bathroom, built-in china cabinet, finished basement with family room, office area, and half bath, along with tons of storage. Extra lot is included to the south! 2 yards for the price of one! All appliances stay and move-in ready! For more information and directions, call Pam - 316-650-0689



Take a break from the heat and come visit these beautiful homes!

Carraba's - Review of Gluten Free Dining Options in Wichita, KS

The first stop on my journey was in response to a celebration. We had worked hard and accomplished a lot lately and I wanted a nice meal out. The two gluten-free places I'd been told about were already closed, so I googled to see what would come up for gluten free in Wichita. First up was a restaurant that unfortunately had closed down. Carraba's showed up on the list and I called to confirm that they had a gluten free menu and were open.

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After waiting half an hour to get in, we were finally seated. Kelly got the regular menu while I had the Gluten Free version. I confess, I was pretty disappointed. The whole point of my journey was to get to eat things without having to just order the baked chicken. What was on their gluten free menu was basically the options on the regular menu that just happened to not have bread product involved. In addition, there were notes on most things on specifically how to order them (Order without Grill Baste). Instead of getting food made to be gluten free, you were getting the regular food, unmade. So I figured it'd be pretty bland. I ended up ordering just an appetizer - shrimp scampi (Please Order Without Toast for Gluten Free) and a side of mashed potatoes. So much for a nice meal!



The kid's menu was just as bad - the only Gluten Free listed option was a baked chicken breast (Order without Grill Baste).

To top it off, and this may just be a personal issue for me, the Gluten Free menu lists NONE of the prices. So unless you went with someone who got the regular menu, you'd have no idea how expensive the food was. And believe me, their food is not cheap. The most prominently placed item on the Gluten Free menu was a steak, that when I correlated with the regular menu, turned out to be a $23 steak.

I'm not a chef, a professional reviewer, or a foodie. So as far as the quality goes, I can't say much beyond that what I had tasted just fine and quality wasn't an issue. My dear husband did order that fancy pants steak to see what the fuss was about, and it was melt-in-your-mouth tender. I found the potatoes a bit peppery, but I really don't like black pepper, so I'm biased.

Atmosphere wise, it was fine. The booth table was roomy enough for our entire family, so that was nice. It was very noisy, but we were there on a Friday night. There was a waitress that sang Opera mid-dinner, but I don't know if that's a regular occurence or not.

All in all, I wouldn't go again just to get a Gluten Free meal. Basically, it'll be like any other restaurant trip - order the blasted chicken or steak. My husband did immensely enjoy his meal, and the kid's activity books kept them quite entertained, better than many other restaurants.

Hmmm.... Where Next? Tips have pointed me to Wild Thyme in Maize, where when I called to find out that they unfortunately had just closed, did confirm that they have Gluten Free food, including a panini! I think I know where I'm headed!


*** I was absolutely not paid, provided with anything, bribed in anyway, or otherwise compensated for this or any other restaurant review. I am doing this out of my own personal struggle and the hope that I can help other GF'ers find someplace to eat besides home! ***

On a Journey to Find Great Gluten Free Dining in Wichita, KS!

Living the gluten free life is hard enough on it's own, at least, it's still hard for me.  Add in frustration over the lack of good restaurant options - thereby limiting your social life! - and it gets even more annoying.  I am sick and tired of ordering the grilled chicken and, gasp, sick of ordering steak too, just because they're the only thing on the menu with a good chance of being safe.  Let's start at the beginning, shall we?

3 years ago, my son was diagnosed with a gluten intolerance and also a problem with caseine.  We had him tested because he's autistic, and there had been a lot of reports and a lot of anecdotes from friends that a GFCF diet improves autistic symptoms.  I was loathe to do the diet trial because going gluten free is such a monumental change from our previous carb-heavy lifestyle.  I had him tested and his results came back with an immune reaction to the presence of gluten in his gut and intolerance for caseine (milk products). 

Thankfully, kids seem okay with a rather limited diet.  So life went on as normal in the restaurant world, with him adapting to grilled chicken tenders. Last year, however, a family member got tested and went a step further and had a genetic test to determine if she had the genes.  She came back with twice the genes to indicate a gluten issue and being genetic, the doc recommended her family get tested.  I tested myself and my middle child.  Yup - we're gluten intolerant.  On the bright side, this may have been a good thing, as I'd been having lots of health issues and just feeling unwell for years with no answers from doctors. 

Now we had 3 of us confirmed, and my daughter therefore highly likely.  The whole family is going gluten free!  That was in January.  We cut out all eating out and focused on learning how to eat and how to cook gluten free things at home.  It's been a challenge, but we've gotten our home meals down.

Lately we've tried to venture out and get the opportunity to eat out more.  Gluten free has made such a headway in groceries and restaurants since my oldest was diagnosed, we thought there might be more options.    After 6 months of not eating out, I wanted to be able to celebrate the occasional night out. 

But  now I'm tired of ordering the same old grilled chicken and steaks!  I want to eat real food that's safe for me!  I'm now on a quest to discover where you can get decent gluten free options for dining in the Wichita KS area.  If I'm having this much trouble, and I live here, I can only imagine how hard it is for someone moving to the area.  I hope my reviews here can help new-comers and residents newly diagnosed, or those who've given up, find the places where they can enjoy food and be safe too!

I have gotten word of at least 2 gluten free restaurants in Wichita, and a few that proclaim to have GF menus!  Over the next several weeks, I'm going to visit one each week and post my opinion on how well they serve the gluten-free population.

Join me on my journey, and if you're also GF or GFCF, let me know if you have visited a local Wichita KS restaurant with gluten free options! 

Off to get some eats!!

Have Kids? Want to Sell Your Home? Get on your Knees!!

No, not to beg! What do I mean then, telling you to get on your knees?

Those of us with little ones know that you don't put anything valuable within 4 feet of the ground. For that matter, box those breakables up until their 18! But what we often forget is just how much damage those little suckers can do. Day in, day out, we get immured to the smudges, the spills, the splatters, until we hardly even notice them. The solution? Get on your knees and crawl around your house. Go ahead, I'll wait.

<whistles Zippidy Do Dah...>

Disgusted yet? Yup, those little darlings have a way of demolishing walls and trim from their height and under. Being so much taller (or not so much taller in my case!), we often don't notice those darling specks of uh.... stuff. But those splatters from dropped sippy cups, tiny toes kicking the walls, grubby fingers grabbing the door frames, and other gooey kiddo stains can often leave the bottom half of your home looking rather... worn. And while your buyers won't likely be crawling along the ground, they will notice that the home looks a little rough around the edges, and this 4' tall smudge adds to that impression.



Solution? You know what you need to do! Get out the washrags, water bucket, and your favorite cleaner. If you're feeling extra adventurous, get an old toothbrush to tackle the top of the baseboards too. Take it easy and crawl through one room at a time, otherwise you'll break down at about the 20th random splatter, screaming hysterically that you don't even know what this stuff even IS! In the end though, the bottom half of your home will do a decent job of keeping up with the upper half. Once you've gotten the accumulated kid gunk off the walls and trim, you should only need to go through and touch up scrub as needed, so this full-time scrub crawl won't be forever.

Need more tips on getting your home ready to sell when you've got kiddos at home?
I'll be posting a series of tips, which you can find here:
Selling Your Home, With Kids

Looking for a Kid-Proof agent to help you get your home ready to go on the market? Give us a shout or drop us an email!